From July to October, Netflix's stock price fell from $300 to $100, mainly due to unrealistic investor expectations, investment, branding misadventures and pricing changes. So is Netflix is the next AOL. While that may be stretching it, AOL was -- as one of the earlier portals -- an aggregator that lacked original content. Eventually, as users' surfing patterns changed (away from portals and onto search) and technology evolved, nothing AOL did helped it from losing its one-time prominence.

Despite the rapid growth of online video consumption, advertiser demand for "premium" video inventory continues to outpace supply. Innovative brands and agencies are looking for new outlets where they can deploy their video budgets. To date, "premium" inventory has been defined predominantly as advertising placed before television programs online. While this surely constitutes a subset of premium inventory, another burgeoning outlet is that of social games,

As an industry, we are currently at an inspiring crossroads. The means of video production has dramatically decreased, and online video advertising is finally distinguishing itself as a separate medium. However, the prevailing use of precious online video inventory is simply repurposing 15 to 30 second TV commercials. While strides have been made to dress up these ads with fantastic interactive and social features, the full opportunity for brands is still being missed - the narrative opportunity. By creating and targeting custom ads, brands can generate a longer, more engaging brand experience, extend the reach of their buys through earned ...

Recent changes in social media advertising are creating new opportunities for Web publishers to profit from engagement-based video. The model comes from social games, which have enjoyed tremendous success with online video advertising.

With the World Series underway and the movie "Moneyball" recently released in theaters, baseball fans across the country are asking this question: What type of ballplayer adds the most value to a team? Is it the flashy home-run hitter who blasts monstrous shots into the stands, but doesn't consistently get on base? Or is it the simple and steady singles hitter who brings in runs and delivers wins for his team? Mobile ad networks and baseball players aren't usually mentioned in the same sentence, but there may be something mobile ad networks can learn from taking a closer look at ...

News doesn't need to be gory, gruesome or tragic to break in real time, be shared through social media, and ripple throughout the media ecosystem. In other words, often enough, publishers will turn to breaking news stories to drive incremental page and video views, and it will be perfectly fine to do so.

As a seller for many years, I always refer back to the movie "Tommy Boy" for inspiration. In fact I talk about it with my staff constantly. Like most men who are squarely in the sweet spot of the target for that movie, I find myself quoting it daily. Just kidding. Kind of.

The recent announcements by NBC to cancel two series, "Free Agents and "Playboy Club," and the CW decision to cancel "H8R," made me engage in a conversation with an agency head of media. My question: "Why would you blindly invest in millions of dollars of TV ...

Facebook just announced some sweeping changes, among them "frictionless" sharing for viewers of Hulu and Netflix. Once you install these apps on your Facebook page, anything you watch on those services is automatically shared on your real-time ticker, e.g. "Sean is watching 30 Rock on Hulu." Friends can click through to watch the same episode with you, and chat live on Facebook while you watch. This is a massive leap forward in the concept of "social TV" -- or is it? It depends on your definition of "social TV."

When was the last time you really enjoyed reading a new device installation or set-up manual? If "never" is your answer, you just may have stumbled upon one of the best video marketing opportunities now available to today's brand marketers. Video-izing instruction and how-to manuals can make your customers' lives a lot easier. But it's not only a good customer service idea, it's also a solid marketing opportunity.

I'm looking over a creative brief from a large brand that wants my agency to pitch an integrated marketing campaign that would include TV, YouTube videos, Facebook, Twitter, a contest and more. I'm reading buzzwords like "edgy" and "provocative." "We'll shock people and make them spit-take soda out of their noses!" Guess what? I don't believe them. Especially with larger organizations, funny is subjective -- and by the time "edgy," and "bat s#!t crazy" make their way through the gauntlet of approvals, there is often very little of either left.